Process of making furfural and fatty acids



.Feb- 20, 1945 R. M. BOEHM PROCESS OF MAKING FURFURAL AND FATTY ACIDS Filed Aug. 15' 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l WUSTQNH SNSUS. km .3m ER If' malaysia f BY n I ATTO R N EYS Feb. 20, 1945. R. M. BQEHM 2,369,655

lPROCESS 0F MAKING FURFURAL AND FATTY ACIDS Filed Allg. l5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 20, 1945 PROCESS F MAKING FURFURAL AND 1 l FATTY ACIDS Robert M. Boehm, Laurel, Miss., assignor to Masonite Corporation, Laurel, Miss., a corporation of Delaware Application August 13, 1940, Serial N0. 352,399

Claims.

The invention relates to the manufacture of furt'ural, organic'acids and other chemical products, and relates more especially to manufacture of such products from originally water-insoluble constituents of hard vegetable material made soluble or dispersible or suspendible in water by subjection of the wood or woody ,material to high heat and pressure in' presence of moisture.

In practicing the invention, various' kindsof hard vegetable materials may be made use of, such as Wood of trees and hard material of an- Inual growths such as bamboo, cane, cornstalks,

jecting wood chips to the action of high pressure .I

steam and' then disintegrating the material by.

explosive discharge from the region of high'steam pressure. The presence of the water solubles so incidentally produced was detrimental to the board etc. products, and in making boards and the like of the solid material, Washing thereof was resorted to for reduction of the water solubles, which were washed out in part and lost with the Waste water.

My application Ser. No.'113,607, led December l, 1936, issued as Patent No. 2,224,135, December 10, 1940, discloses and claims elimination of the washing out of such water solubles and of the resulting Waste thereof, by the .substitution for such washing of an expression treatment for recovery and saving of the water solubles, whereby to improve the making of board etc. products 'and to secure a liquor or juice containing expressed water solubles, which constitute a chemical base material for use in production of fur- 'fural and various other chemicals, and for production of products from the sugars etc. by fermentation and the like treatments.

The present invention relates to the making of furfural, organic acids and other chemical prodi ucts from materials containing pentosans and the like, and preferably to making such products from 'the Water soluble or chemical base material expressed from wood which has been subjected to high heat and pressure in presence of moisture, for example as described in my prior patent above referred to.

One object of the invention is'` the provision of y a new process for making furfural from materials containing pentosans.

Anotherobject is the provisioniof a new process for making fururaLorganic--acids andother chemicals from the water solubles produced by transformation to solubility of some of the originally insolublev parts of wood by subjection to high heat and pressure in presence of moisture, and preferably to the action of steam under high pressure. l

A`further object consists in the provision of a process for the rapid production of furfural, organic acids, etc. from such water solubles wherein the water solubles are subjected to a high temperature treatment with steam closely resembling the treatment previously applied to the wood itself in producing the watervsolubles.

A further object consists in providing process steps for making furfural, organic acids, etc. from such water solubles, wherein the tarry materia-ls that are 4formed are separated out and recovered at an early stage of the process, andin such manner and -state that stickiness and hard caking of these tarry materials are avoided, and they do not act to prevent the securing of good yields of furfural, fatty acids, etc.

A further object is the provision of catalytic agents serving to materially increase the yield of furfural and organic acid obtained, and particularly adapted for use with water solubles obtained from wood by treatment with high heat and pressure in presence of moisture.

A further object'is the provision of a process in which nely divided solids having sorptive properties are provided, on which the tarry materials produced from the water solubles can collect or condense, and stickiness and caking of the tarry materials can be thereby avoided, while also withdrawing and recovering furfuralformed to keep it from acting as a plasticizing agent which would impart sticky and caking characteristics to such tarry materials, and until the tarry materials are separated out the liquor containing same is kept in a state of vigorous agitation. Y. f

A further object is the provision of an improved process for making furfural and organic acids from water solubles secured from wood wherein furfural is made use of as an extracting agent for the acids.

Other objects will appear or be pointed out.

Reference character IIJ designates a. gun for the shooting of wood chips supplied from a hopper l2. The gun I0, as shown in detail inFig. 2, has a charging port I4 equipped with an outward closing valve I6. Its outlet I8, which is normally closed by a hydraulic valve 20, can be opened by opening a valve 2l in the small hydraulic cylinder 22 permitting the ram 23 to be depressed and the gun valve 20 to open in response to the pressure in gun ID. The steam supply to the gun is indicated at 25.

The exploded material from gun I passes tangentially into the cyclone separator 26, from which the steam escapes to the atmosphere. The fine solid material produced falls into the screw expeller 28, in which it is subjected to an expression treatment. The solid material can be again subjected to expression by a second screw expeller 30. The number of expeller screws in tandem and/or in parallel arrangement can be varied as desired. As shown, the liquor from screw 30 passes to pan 32 from which it is led back or recycled to the hopper 34 leading to the i-lrst screw 28, and the combined liquor from screws 28 and 30 passes to 4pan 36 from which it goes to the reservoir 38. In order to secure an improved yield of the juice containing water solubles, condensate from evaporation of such liquor as later described may be supplied to the expression operation or operations, preferably to the material passing to screw 30 as indicated at 39.

The solids remaining after the reduction of water soluble content by expression treatment are routed away as indicated at 40 to be used for board manufacture or :for other purposes.

For the manufacture of products from the water solubles by the steps presently to be described, a more highly concentrated liquor can be used to best advantage. As here shown, the expressed liquor in which the solid content does not ordi narily exceed about 20%, is concentrated to contain preferably about 50% or more of water solubles or solids. This can be accomplished by an evaporator 42, preferably of the multiple eiect type, from whence the concentrated liquor goes to the storage tank 44. Should this material be subject to dilution by bringing back recycled mate- 'rials or the like, this dilution can be compensated for by evaporating at 42 to a higher concentra tion as for example 60% solids, to be later diluted back to, say, 50% solids. Some of the water which is evaporated and contains organic acids, etc., can be condensed, as by a, condenser 43, and recycled to the expression screws as indicated at 39. Alternatively, vapors from the evaporator may be passed through a column (not shown) nlled with limestone whereby the acids are neutralized and recovered as calcium acetate and calcium formate, the steam being permitted to escape. A still further alternative (also not shown) may consist in passing these vapors through a carbon scrubber to adsorb these acids which can be recovered from the carbon.

The treatment for making furtural etc. is largely dependent upon the properties of the juice or chemical base material used therefor. These properties can best be understood from a typical example of the making thereof, and the hardwood, gumwood, will be selected for illustration as affording a preferable chemical base material.

In such a typical operation, gum wood 4chips are charged into a gun such as shown in U. S. patent to Mason, No. 1,824,221, the steam pressure raised to 1000 lbs. per sq. in. in 30 seconds, then held at that pressure for 2 or 3 seconds and the gun contents then exploded by discharge from the region of high pressure.

The transformation of the water-insoluble wood produces three diierent kinds of material from the wood. Approximately 13% of the dry weight of wood (which will be used as the basis of percentage gures), is converted into volatiles. At present, these are lost with the escaping steam. Approximately 20% of the dry Weight of Wood is converted to water solubles, which can be washed out by water. The expressing operation removes about 17% of these water solubles. About 70% remains, consisting of approximately 67% of water insoluble material together with about 3% of Water solubles which were notremoved by the expression treatment. This portion is usable for making board and the like products. Of these materials, the expressible water soluble part of approximately 17% is of present special interest. and supplies the material for use with the present invention.

The expressed liquor contains this 17% of solid water-solubles with approximately four times their weight of water and is of approximately 1.06 speciiic gravity and of a light tan color, and is ordinarily opaque due to the presence of colloidally dispersed material. This liquor is preierably evaporated down to contain as much or more solids than water. In this evaporation treatment1 volatiles are lost with escaping water Vapor, but this loss can be minimized by condensing and recycling at 39 some of the water with materials carried thereby to use in juice expression, or the volatile materials, principally acids, can be recovered with lime or charcoal or in other ways. as explained above. Thus the water solubles lost in evaporation can be held down to about 1% or less of the dry weight of the original wood; and the concentrated liquor may contain water soluble solids amounting to approximately 16% by weight of the original wood and about an equal amount or less of water.

Taking now this total water-soluble solid content `0f the expressed and concentrated liquor, which constitutes approximately 16% by dry Weight of the original wood, and calling such total quantity of solids the following can be said of its makeup.

Approximately 60% consists of sugars'and materials which can be converted into sugars. Of these approximately 57% consist of polysaccharides and thearemaining approximately 3% of free sugars. With use of gum wood about 50% out of the 60% consists of pentosans, as xylan and araban, etc., and free pentose sugars, as xylose. arabinose, etc., and the remaining approximately 10% consists of hexosans, as mannan, galactan, glucosan, etc., and of free hexose sugars, as mannose, galactose, glucose, etc. 'I'his content of polysaccharides and sugars is believed to be produced by an acid hydrolysis of hemicellulose and freeing of polysaccharide material from combinations which held it water-insoluble in the Wood. While the free volatile organic acids produced are partly lost in evaporation of water from the liquor carried out for the concentration thereof, about 20% of organic acids and salts thereof are retained in the evaporated and concentrated liquor.

The liquor responds to tests for lignin, thus indicating that iignin or materials made from the lignin in the Wod are contained therein.

Approximately 20% of the water solubles consist of tarry materials, or materials which can be extracted fromthe liquor with butyl alcohol and the like solvents and remain as a tarry residue when the extract is evaporated down. These tarry materials appear to give the liquor its light tan color. However, in the liquor before and after concentration the tars do not exhibit stickiness or tendency to coat or cake on vessels and apparatus, and the liquor can be readily concentrated, without trouble from the tars. In the case of liquor made from pine suspended or dispersed materials are present. The above statement of contents of the water solubles of such liquors is not intended to be complete, but only to identify the main constituents so far as practicable. Inv

addition traces of furfural and levulinic acid and propionic acid are identifiable in such liquor, and many other materials are doubtless present in small proportions.

The percentage of volatile organic acids or salts thereof in the liquor can be increased if, prior to the treatment with high heat and pressure in presence of moisture preferably carried out with high pressure steam, the chips are impregnated with about by weight of neutralizing or buffering material, such as sodium sulphite or soda ash, as in this case more of these volatile acids are fixed in the form of salts, and losses thereof with the escaping stem upon explosion and upon evaporation of the expressed liquor are minimized.

Hardwood is preferable, since with soft woods, such as Pinus palustrz's for example, the pentosan-pentose content of the juice and the hexosan-hexose content thereof are ordinarily approximately equal, and with mixtures of soft and hard wood these proportions can be varied as desired. Lower pressures than 1000 lbs., as 300 lbs. per sq. in. with longer times and higher pressures as 1200 lbs. per sq. in. for shorter times,

can be used for chip shooting if desired.

It has been found that upon substantially any ordinary cooking or like treatment of the liquor containing water solubles to make furfural, etc.,

sages at high speed by the explosion ensuing upon products, tarry material is formed in a proportion greatly exceeding that in which tar was present in the juice, and further that, unlike the tar in the juice, this tarry material, particularly when it contains furfural, which appears to act as a plasticizer of the tar, is sticky and forms hard deposits. This may be accounted for at least in part by conversion of hexosans and/or hexose into a tarry or cake-like state. Thecooking of the liquor for several hours at vmoderate pressures such as lbs. per sq. in., or on much higher temperature treatment thereof while passing through heated pipe coils and the like, although giving good yields of furfural etc. for a time, will result in the heated walls of the apparatusl exposed to the liquor becoming coated with a hard tar-like deposit which interferes with efficient operation. In such treatments catalytic or reaction agents such as hereinafter described are made use of.

The above difficulties are overcome by the present invention as will hereinafter appear.

The reaction for making furfural, organic acids, etc. is preferably accomplished as indicated in the drawings by use of a gun or guns 48 similar to the chip shooting gun i0, but preferably of smaller capacity. The guns 48 are preferably provided with hydraulic outlet valves similar to valve 20 of gun l0. With use of such guns, the reactions productive oi' furfural, organic acids, and the like products are effected by use of live high temperature steam, and the reactions are carried out with'high rapidity and in such man ner that the walls of the reaction chamber and passages therefrom are kept free from tarry and the like deposits by shooting the gun contents out of the gun chamber and through the outlet pasopening up of the gun discharge valve.

The preferable arrangement in this connection consists in the provision of a battery of such guns sired. The operation of the guns can be automatic or manual as may be desired.

Preparatory to treatment of the preferably concentrated liquor for making furfural, etc., a small proportion of material is preferably incorporated therewith to serve substantially the purpose of a catalytic or reaction agent or agents. This material is preferably admixed with the liquor in the tank d6 to which the liquor is supplied from the storage tank 40 as needed, and delivered from tank 46 to the guns d8. A small percentage of sulfuric acid of 1.84 specific gravity, as about 3% of the weight of the Water solubles in the liquor, together with a smaller percentage as about 0.2-0.4% of aluminum sulfate serves effectively for this purpose and gives best yields of furfural etc. and is the preferred cat alyst. However other catalytic or reaction agents, as calcium metaphosphate, phosphoric acid and magnesium sulfate, may be used and in varying amounts, particularly where the treatment is modified from that given herein.

` For shooting to make furfural, organic acid etc., the prepared liquor from the feeding and mixing tank 46 is pumped into a gun 48. In addition to the catalytic material, finely divided material, such as clay, carbon or other inert material, is preferably added to this material,

preferably by introduction into the mixing tank4 46 as indicated at 54, and is useful for avoiding depositing and caking of tarry materials throughf out the apparatus. Instead of adding in the mixing tank, the addition of these finely divided materials may be made directly to the material in the gun chamber if desired.

Thereupon steam is supplied to the gun at high pressure, preferably about 800-1000 lbs. per sq. in., and is preferably admitted at the bottom of the gun chamber so as to pass upward through the liquor in the gun chamber to thereby get maximum agitation and contact therewith. After bringing the pressure in the gun up to this pressure, it is held for a time depending on the quantity of the juice introduced into the gun, and size of gun. For example, when using steam at about 1000 lbs. per sq. in. and with about four gallons of the concentrated juice in a gun chamber of about eight gallons total capacity, time for bringing up to pressure and holding at pressure may be about to 15 seconds. The outer valve from the gun 48 is then opened and the contents explosively discharged into the big receiver Il, entering at high velocity and producing great agitation therein. A false pressure, in excess oi' the steam pressure applied, may quickly build up in the gun, and is apparently due to rapid pro duction of volatile materials, gases, etc. Provision (not shown) may be made for venting these vapors from the top of the gun 48 to the receiver 5l, and improved yields of furfural and of acids can be obtained by making such provision. Formic acid is found to be comparatively easily decomposed by holding the materials at high pressures and temperatures for an unduly long time, and for this reason a shooting pressure not exceeding about 800 lbs. per sq. in. is preferred, with a holding time about as described for 1000 lbs. per sq. in. or slightly longer.

As an alternative for or in addition to supplying line material for condensation of tars etc. elsewhere, the tar collecting or condensing agent may be admixed with material coming to receiver 5l from the gun, and this material or some thereof is preferably supplied to the receiver 5l. A pugging screw 58 is shown for discharging damp stii' clay into receiver 5l for this purpose. Other line materials such as waste sludge from .fiber board manufacture, or other finely divided Wood liber materials can be introduced into the receiver 5l and/or if desired, introduced into the evaporators 641 to be described later, and mixed with the shot material from guns d8. Only a small percentage of such line material is added,

as approximately 2-5% and it is nely divided and can be readily pumped, etc.

In the treatment in the gun llt of liquor containing Water solubles and made from gum Wood chips for example, followed by explosion, approximately two-thirds of the water soluble solids are converted to volatile material. This volatile material comprises furfural and volatile organic acids, principally acetic and forrnic acids, together with other condensible and non-condensible materials. The furfural appears to be made at least principally from the pentosanpentose content of the lwater solubles. The remainder in liquid state and containing the tarry materials, hot Water with urfural and fatty acids in solution, catalysts, etc., falls to the bottom of receiver 5l. The tarry content is considerable, as already stated, part of it appearing to be a modied form of the non-sticky tars present in the juice taken for treatment and part of it apparently made from hexosans or hexoses or parts of pentosan-pentose which are not converted to furfural, and parts from still other materials present. The proportion of volatile organic acid material produced is many times higher than the amount in the water solubles taken for treatment.

On discharge of the hot material from guns 48 into the receiver 5i, partial separation of volatiles from the tarry material takes place, the vapors of furfural and volatile organic acids and much of the water ashing o and being removed through an outlet passage 50 at the top of receiver 5i. Baliles as 5l' can be provided in receiver 5l and the vapors passed through a foam trap 53. These serve to-keep the issuing vapors from carrying entrained matter along with them. This vaporous material is hot and this heat can be utilized, for example to edect vaporization of material is passed from the evaporator.

aseaess the iuriural, volatile organic acids. etc., in the liquor which is discharged through the outlet t2 at the bottom of the receiver 5I, and obtain separation thereof from the tarry, etc. materials also contained in such liquor.

As shown, the liquor from outlet 82 of receiver 5I, is evaporated, and furfural, volatile organic acids, water, and the like, taken off as vapor in an evaporation apparatus 64 to which heat is supplied by the ash vapors from the top of receiver 5|. A heat exchange unit 64a may be conveniently inserted into the system to transfer heat from the hot gases owing from the receiver to aid in evaporation occurring in the evaporator 64. This evaporator is of such character that the material is kept in a state of vigorous agitation during the separation of the furfural, acids and other vaporizable material from the terry material. An evaporator or evapora'tors of the calandria type is preferred in which the contents are kept in rapid circulation and agitation by means of the circulatory pump 65. One evaporator unit is indicated for simplicity of showing but more can be used, as for example multiple effect evaporators, and these may be operated under partial vacuum, etc. Withdrawal of the vapors of furfural from the liquid While in agitated state is of assistance in preventing plasticizing action of furfural upon the tarry materials.

The heavier material such as the tarry material from the bottom of the evaporator can advantageously be recovered separately practically free from furfural and the like as by means oi filter presses or the like. In the present showing this is done by lter press G6 to which the residual Continuous filter presses may be used if desired in order to operate the process continuously. With use of sorbent materials as above described the mixtures thereof with the tar as delivered to the iilter press are of a substantially granular character and quite free from stickiness and caking.

The ltered liquor can advantageously be recycled, at least in part, to be again supplied to and treated in guns 48, as by delivery to the feed and mixing tank 46 therefor, and this recycling is indicated at b'l. This recycled material contains pentosans, etc. Such recycling returns most othe agents used for catalysts, reduces the requirements for catalytic material, and serves to increase the yields of products as furfural, volatile acids, etc. As already stated, if such recycling tends to dilute the material in the feeding tank au', this can oe compensated for by additional evaporation of the juice before delivery to tank 46. The lter cakes can be subjected to distillation treatment for recovery of condensible materials and it' desired can be calcined for recovery and reuse of the clay or other inert i organic contents. 1f the filter cakes are washed the wash water may be delivered to evaporator bil as indicated by broken lines at 63. Dotted lines in the drawings indicate passages containing gaseous material or vapor, and full lines indicate passages for liquid material. From the tars a great variety of materials can be secured. For example, by extraction of the tars with ether, levulinic acid may be recovered.

The vapors from evaporators 64 are combined with the iiash vapors from receiver 5|, after the latter have been used for supplying heat to evaporator 64, and are condensed at 69, and the condensate passed on at l0 is treated for recovery and separation of the products as furiural, etc.

The vapors passing through the condenser 69 are preferably scrubbed as indicated at 69',.and the non-condensible gases then vented to the atmosphere.

Preferably the first treatment for effecting recovery consists in removal of the low boiling materials or heads such as acetone, methanol, etc., which are formed, and these may be recovered as by means of fractionating column 1|, from which they are taken awayv as indicated at 12 for further fractionation. 'This quantity is small and its further fractionation etc. treatment is not shown but will be readily understood.

After removal of the heads, the liquor containing principally water, furfural and volatile organic acids is subjected to treatment for extraction of the acids. Furfural being already present in the material to be treated and `being available from this manufacture, and being found to be a goodmaterial for extraction of the organic acids, is Apreferably made use of for this purpose. Other extraction agents as ethyl acetate, isopropylether, butyl alcohol, etc., can be used if desired, but would require recovery separate from the furfural. An extraction column 14 is indicated for this purpose, and after cooling as indicated at 13, the liquor with the heads removed is supplied at the bottom of the extraction vcolumn 1'4 at 16, and dry furfural supplied at the top as at 96, and the desired separation effected by counter-current flow. The material from the top part to the acid removing column 92 las indicated at |00, and in part sent at |0| to the azeotropic 'column |02 in which the acetic and formic acids are separated, the glacial acetic acid product being run off from the bottom of column |02 as indicated at |03, and after cooling at |04 sent to storage tank |06. The recovery of these acids separately-is desirable because of the relatively high proportion of formic acid produced.

'I'he vapors of formic acid and of the azeotropic removing agent for formic acid, such as thiophene, ethylene dichloride or other azeotropes,. coming from the top of the column |02 are condensedby condenser |08 and sent to decanter Iremoving agent is recycled from the decanter I I0 i to the azeotropic column |02, and the upper lslayer consisting of formic acid is sent to a column llljfoflthe refining of the formic acid. The

from the formic acid the combined vapors from the top of the formic acid reiining column H2 are returned to'condenser |08, andthe content of extraction column 14 contains largely Water and dissolved furfural substantially free from acids, and that from the bottom of theextractor 14 is mainly furfural, with dissolved Water and acids. Y

The water and furfural from'the top of the extraction column 14 is led at 18 to the stripping column 810, to the lower part of Whichsteam is supplied as indicated at 82. Water is discharged to the sewer from the bottom of stripping column 80, or reused in the board-making process.

The vapors of furfural and water from the top of the stripping column 80 are condensed at 83 and led to decanter 84. The upper layer from the decanter 84 and containing mostly water (about 92%) is returned to the stripping column 80 as indicated at 86. The lower layer, containing mostly furfural (about 92%), is run to the vacuum dehydrating column 88.

The furfural and acid mixture, also containing water, from the bottom of the extracting column 14 is conducted to the vacuum dehydrating column 88 at 88A wherebyit is dehydrated. Funfural and water vapors from the top of the vacuum dehydrating column 88 are condensed at 83A and led to decanter 84A. The bottom layer from the decanter 84A containing about 92% furfural and 8% Water is recycled to the vacuum dehydrating column 88, preferably jointly with the like material from the decanter 84. The upper layer in decanter 84A, containing mostlyv water (about 92%) is run through pump 89 to the stripping column 80. Separate condensers 83 and 83A are made use of because the stripping column 80 operates atv atmospheric pressure whereas the dehydrating column 88 operates under vacuum.

The furfural-acid mixture from the bottom of dehydrating column 88 is sent as indicated at 90 to the vacuum Iacid removing column 92, from the bottom olf which dry furfural is obtained and, after lcooling as indicated at 93, is pumped at 93A to furfural storage tank 94. Part of the furfural is sent from tank 94 to tank 96 to supofformic acid removing agentback to the azeotropic column |02 with other material constituting the lower layer in the decanter H0. Typical yields from water solubles made from gum wood as above described are approximately 18 %-25% of furfural, based on the Weight of the water solubles, approximately 12-15% of acetic acid, and approximately 68% of formic acid, on the same basis.

Provision (not shown) is of course made for final reiining of dry furfural, and other routine procedures., While [for simplicity separate heating appliances are shown for the various columns and the like, it will be understood that heat from any avail-able source may be used, on the ordinary basisv of having heat interchangers wherever practicable.

I claim:

1.'Process of producing furfural from pentosans, which comprises exposing a charge containing pentosans with a furfural-forming acid catalyst in a closed chamber to steam at high pressure and corresponding high temperature whereby furzfural is produced from the pentosans, suddenly discharging the steam-treated charge under the high pressure of the steam into a receiver having reduced pressure, subjecting the unvaporized discharged materials to flash eva- .poration in the receiver at the lower pressure.

therein, removing furfural as vapor, and condensing and recovering the furfural.

2. Process of producing furfural from pentosans as described in claim 1, and wherein the steam pressure in the closed chamber prior to discharge is approximately 800 to 1000 pounds per square inch.

3. Process of producing :furfural from *pen--A tosans as described inclaim 1, and wherein the furfural-forming acid catalyst comprises Isulfuric acid and alum. F

4. Process of producing furfural from pentosans, which comprises exposing a charge containing pentosans, together with other vegetable materials which upon being subjected to |highpressure steam tend to form tars which are of such character as to be susceptible of being plasticized and made sticky by furfural, with a furfural-forming acid catalyst in a closed chamber to steam at high pressure and corresponding high temperature. whereby furfural is produced and also tars of the stated character, suddenly discharging the entire reaction mixture under the high pressure of the steam into a receiver having reduced pressure, subjecting the unvaporized discharged materials to ilash evaporation at the lower pressure therein, removing fur-s fural rapidly as vapor thus avoiding substantial plasticization of the tars by furfural, and condensing and recovering the furfural.

5. Process of producing furfural from pentosans as described in claim 4, and wherein finely divided inert material is supplied to convert the tars produced to a substantially granular state.

6. Process of making furfural, which. comprises subjecting in a closed chamber a charge containing pentosans, together with other vegetable materials which when subjected'to high pressure steam tend vto form tars which are susceptible of being plastlczed by furfural, with a. furfural-formlng catalyst to steam at high pressure and temperature, suddenly discharging the contents of the chamber into a receiving vessel having reduced pressure wherein unvaporized reaction products are subjected to-ilash evaporation, removing furfural vapors from the chamber whereby plasticization of the tars bysuch part of the furfural is avoided, incorporating iinely divided inert material with the layer of liquidl furfural, tars, and the like which remain at the bottom of the vessel whereby the tars and finely divided material are agglomerated into granular material, removing such granular material, and collecting and recovering both the vaporous and the liquid furfural.

7. Process o! making furfural, which comprises subjecting a charge containing pentosan material and normally non-caking tarry material to high heat and pressure in the presence of a furfuralformlng catalyst, whereby furiural is produced together with caky tars, introducing a minor proportion of nnely divided inert materiai into the reaction mixture whereby to convert the tars produced to substantially granular state, and recovering the furfural.

8. Process vas in claim 7, and wherein the iurfural-iorming catalyst comprises sulfuric acid and alum andthe Vproportion of ilnely divided inert material is approximately 2% to 5%- 9. Process of making furfural and organic acids, which comprises subjecting a charge containing pentosan material and normally noncaking tarry material to the action of steam at high temperature and pressure in a reaction zone in the presence of a furfural-forming catalyst, whereby furfural and organic acids are produced and the tarry material is vconverted to caky tars, introducing a minor proportion of nely divided inert material to the steam treated materials,"whereby to convert the tars produced to substantially granular state, vaporizing the furural and volatile organic acids and recovering the fui-tural and organic acids.

10. Process as in claim 9, and wherein the granular tar material is removed from the reaction zone.

l1. Process as in claim 9, and wherein the furfural-forming catalyst comprises sulfuric acid and alum and the proportion of nely divided inert material is approximately 2% to 5%.

12. Processcf making furfural comprising the steps of subjecting a liquor containing pentosan material and normally non-caking tars to high heat and pressure' in the presence of Ia furfuralforming catalyst to thereby obtain a conversion of the. pentosan material to furfural accom- Danied, however, by conversion of the normally non-cakmg tars to tars which of themselves would be of caky nature and upon which furfural would have a plasticiaing eiect, introducing into the reaction mixture a nely subdivided substantially inert material adapted to take up said caky tars by sorptive action'and form therewith an agglomerated granular material, and subjecting the reacted mixture to evaporation at lower pressure under agitation thereby removing furfural rapidly as vapor and avoiding plasticization of the caky tars by furfural, and recovering the furfural.

13. Process. of making furfural and organic` acids from liquor expressed from heat-treated wood, which comprises the steps of subjecting such liquor to high temperature and pressure in the presence of a furfural-forming catalyst in a reaction zone whereby furfural andmrganic acids are produced, together withcaky tars, including in the reaction zone a minor proportion of finely divided inert material adapted toadsorb and absorb said tars, removing from the reaction zone the reaction products including the tars together with said inert iinely divided material, and separately recovering the furfural and organic acids.

14. Process of making furfural 'and organic acids from liquor expressed from wood after subjection of the wood to high temperature and pressure in the presence of moisture, which comprises subjecting such liquor to the action of high-pressure .high-temperature steam in a closed vessel, suddenly discharging the vessel contents into a, receiver at much lower pressure, separating the resulting vaporous and liquid material, incorporating inert ilnely subdivided material with the liquid portion, evaporating down such liquid portion, removing therefrom such inert material with other material taken up thereby,

combining the vaporized materials from the receiver with the material evaporated from such liquid portion, condensing the combined vapors, extracting furfural and organic acids 'from the condensate by counter flow with new furfural,

and recovering organic acids from thev turfuralextracted material. l

15. The process ci.' producing furtural and organic acids :l'rorn liquors containing pentosans and other vegetable extractives derived from the 'treatment of woodber with steam under heat tars, rapidly blowing out the contents ot the reaction chamber including the tars formed in the reaction into a dash chamber at lower pressure. whereby the mixture is subjected to evaporation and agitation at the reduced pressure, removing vaporired furfural rapidly from said dash chamber, thus avoiding substantial plasticization or the im by rnrfurnl, and condensing and recovering ine furfurnl. I

16. The process of claim 15, and wherein a minor proportion of inert material capable of agglomerating and preventing the caking of the tars is provided in the reacted liquor subjected to vapor separation at reduced pressure.

1'7. The process of producing furfural and organic .acids from pentosanfcontaining liquors derived from the treatment of wood fiber with steam under heat and pressure, which comprises concentrating such liquors to' at least about 50% solids, introducing such liquor with an acid furfural-forming catalyst into aclosed reaction incorporated in the liquor in the reaction cham-v ber. v

19. The process of producing furfural from concentrated pentosan-containing liquors which comprises successively introducing charges of such liquor together with acid furfural-forming catalyst into a plurality of close reaction chambers, successively introducing high pressure steam into said reaction chambers to ,bring their contents rapidly to high pressure and temperaturel and efiectconversion of the pentosan material to furfural therein accompanied by formation of tars, suddenly discharging the reaction contents of said chambers in succession into a flash chamber in which separation of vapors and unvaporized liquor takes place, and continuously passing the unvaporized liquors from said flash chamber to an evaporator in which furfural and other volatile products of reaction are separated from the tars formed in the reaction.

20. The process of claim 19 wherein a minor proportion of inert adsorptive material is pro- 4vided in the liquors discharged' from the reaction chambers to be present during vaporization of the furfural and other volatile products of reaction, to agglomeratie and prevent Caking 25 of the tars.

ROBERT M. BOEHM. 

